Chapter 111: Breaking Out to the South

After finishing speaking, Wangu paid no attention to Feng Yucai and directly returned to his own military formation.

That night, General Feng Yucai sat around a campfire with his officers after dinner, discussing strategies.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court of Daxing Kingdom, a late-night council meeting was underway, once again deliberating on the response.

At this moment, Zhao Xinglong, seated on the throne, was the first to speak:

“My loyal ministers, we face dire circumstances. If anyone has sound strategies, please speak boldly. No matter what, I shall not blame you.”

A silence fell over the assembly until the chancellor, Zhang Chengwei, spoke first:

“Your Majesty, no siege is impenetrable. If Your Majesty permits me to deploy several decoy units, I guarantee General Feng Yucai can break through the encirclement and then we can reassess our plans.”

Yet the counselor Qian Qiu interjected:

“Your Majesty, perhaps we could feign acquiescence to their demands and then gradually disengage. A true man knows when to bend and when to endure; this would be a delaying tactic.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xinglong replied:

“How can that be? If we do so, I will never hold my head high again before the other nations.”

Chancellor Zhang then suggested:

“Your Majesty, perhaps we should wait a little longer. There may yet be a turning point.”

Counselor Qian countered:

“Do you expect a turning point to fall from the sky? We must endure this moment of hardship.”

Zhang responded promptly:

“Who says not? Once the loyalist armies hear of our plight, they will surely come rushing to aid us. With some careful planning, I can save General Feng and secure victory. I implore Your Majesty to grant permission!”

Zhang Chengwei urged:

“Please do not hesitate. Whatever must be done, General Feng is the pillar of our nation and the heart of our army. As long as he lives, the Liao Gu Kingdom will think twice before acting recklessly. I have faith that General Feng will break through and safeguard Daxing Kingdom.”

The debate then centered on whether to temporarily surrender and endure or to resist steadfastly. Zhang Chengwei and Feng Yucai’s supporters favored resistance to uphold national dignity, while Counselor Qian and his faction advocated patience, citing the example of King Goujian of Yue who endured hardship and plotted revenge.

In truth, Zhao Xinglong hoped to resist and triumph, unwilling to leave a stain of shame in history. Yet with the situation critical, he hesitated to make an immediate decision. Overall, he was somewhat intimidated and allowed his officials’ heated arguments to proceed unchecked.

…

At the front lines, Feng Yucai was also conferring with his generals. Unexpectedly, he discovered that one of his subordinates, Li Ying, was a traitor.

Feng asked coldly:

“Li Ying, why would you do this?”

Li Ying sneered:

“Hmph, what’s there to ask when it comes to wealth and glory?”

Feng pressed:

“Is it really just for wealth and glory?”

Li Ying replied:

“What else could there be? General Feng, for all the kindness you showed me over the years, heed my advice. The Liao Gu Kingdom’s army has reached 800,000 strong and is formidable. Many court officials have secretly defected to them. No reinforcements will come. Surely you don’t want your entire family to perish in vain?”

Feng Yucai’s anger flared:

“You…”

Before he could say more, a long steel needle suddenly flew through the air, piercing Li Ying’s head with deadly precision. Li Ying died instantly.

A voice declared:

“Do not waste words on traitors.”

Startled, everyone turned to see a group dressed in strange attire approaching. Each carried a large backpack and held a bulging bag, as if stuffed with many items. The guards moved to block them, but Feng Yucai stepped forward to stop them:

“They’re our own.”

The guards hesitated and stepped aside. It was Zhang Desen and his Special Operations Team One.

Zhang Desen approached Feng Yucai and said:

“General, I have arrived!”

Everyone was stunned and asked:

“Who is he?”

Feng introduced Zhang Desen as the greatest warrior of Daxing Kingdom, prompting cheers.

Originally, Zhang Desen had been cautious about this mission fearing it might alert the terrifying race of the Olmei Empire. But now he knew the ancient Olmei were on the brink of civil war and unlikely to intervene. This was evident from their neglect of Counselor Qian.

Moreover, Zhang had infiltrated the Olmei Empire’s global network through data collectors installed on their massive satellites. He could secretly gather and even alter ancient Olmei data, monitoring all their movements. Hence, he was ready to reveal himself openly.

Feng Yucai sighed in admiration:

“Master Zhang, your courage is extraordinary—our nation’s blessing!”

Then he asked:

“How did you get in? Did the Liao Gu forces around not stop you?”

Zhang gestured for his team to open their bags and poured out the contents onto the ground. To everyone’s shock, they were severed heads wearing helmets identifying them as Liao Gu soldiers.

Seeing their astonished faces, Zhang explained:

“I brought the heads of enemy sentries. After eliminating the sentries, we just walked right in.”

Amid the stunned expressions, a new hope began to take root.

Zhang Desen briefed them on the true situation at court and his plan. Without hesitation, Feng pledged full cooperation. Since Zhang had gotten in, he was certain he could get out.

With consensus reached, Zhang fired a signal flare into the night sky.

Before anyone could fully react, massive explosions erupted in the Liao Gu camps to the east and west of the Daxing army’s encirclement, setting the area ablaze.

Chaos immediately spread through the Liao Gu ranks. Special Operations Teams Two and Three, stationed nearby, seized the opportunity to launch surprise attacks.

Though the Liao Gu troops were formidable fighters, the sudden blasts stunned them. They were caught off guard by attackers appearing from nowhere. Any arrows fired or charges launched toward enemies found no targets—the attackers vanished before contact.

The special forces followed Zhang’s usual tactics, firing single shots or short bursts from Type 56 submachine guns, sometimes using specialized flying needles or throwing knives. After each strike, they swiftly relocated, each shot hitting its mark without fail.

The Liao Gu soldiers, desperate and disoriented, could neither find their foes nor know where to take cover. Their commanders were prime targets; any officer showing his face was immediately eliminated.

If no commander was visible, random targets were chosen. When enemy numbers surged, cluster grenades like the Yunbao grenades were thrown, wreaking havoc and disorder among the massive Liao Gu army.

The initial explosions were caused by remote-controlled bombs, which had to be planted stealthily before Zhang’s signal flare. After planting, the operatives withdrew to their ambush points. Once the flare appeared, the bombs detonated simultaneously.

These bombs were ancient human relics stored in oxygen-free vaults at the Tycho Crater base, accessible only in specially prepared protective suits.

Since these bombs couldn’t yet be replicated, Zhang’s team wrapped them in bundles of homemade explosives, forming cluster grenade-like devices. Detonating the remote bomb in the center triggered the outer charges, maximizing impact with minimal use of rare munitions.

They hoped that the Liu Family Future Industrial Park would eventually produce these remote bombs, allowing for less constrained operations in future battles.

At the same moment, artillery commanders from the Zhang and Liu families, upon seeing the flare, raised their command flags and ordered:

“Ready… Fire!”

Their cannons targeted the Liao Gu troops’ southern camp, which blocked the Daxing army’s retreat, firing long-range artillery.

Armies accustomed to melee weapons were unprepared for such bombardment and had no effective cover. The southern camp fell into chaos and suffered heavy losses.

Though the joint industrial park’s artillery platforms were not yet fully completed, the guns had been moved into position. While their full potential was not yet realized, the firepower was sufficient for now.

Seeing the coordination in place, Zhang Desen led Special Operations Team One in a charge southward. Feng Yucai followed with his troops. Any prior hesitation vanished as they surged forward.

Meanwhile, at the northern Liao Gu camp, the supreme commander Wangu, personally commanding 700,000 troops, was awakened by the explosions. Rushing out of his command tent, he demanded:

“What’s happening?”

A guard reported:

“Commander, our forces on the east, west, and south sides have been attacked!”

Recognizing the signs, Wangu roared:

“The same enemies again? Wasn’t the vigilance supposed to be increased? Quickly, alert the entire army! Attack the Daxing camps with me—now!”

“Yes, sir!”

Meanwhile, Zhang Desen’s team approached the southern Liao Gu camp of 25,000 soldiers. Special Operations Team One split into two roughly equal groups. Frontline soldiers fired single shots or short bursts from Type 95 assault rifles or Type 56 submachine guns.

When enemy numbers swelled, the rear ranks launched Yunbao grenades and similar explosives into clustered enemies.

The Liao Gu troops had already been severely battered by artillery and were demoralized. Resistance was minimal.

Thus, Zhang Desen and his team advanced as if unopposed.

The Daxing soldiers, initially skeptical of the special forces’ capabilities, now saw their prowess firsthand and morale soared. They charged into the disorganized Liao Gu camp like wolves among sheep.

Before the assault fully breached the camp, Zhang’s team used their communicators to signal the artillery to cease fire.

At that moment, Wangu received the grim report that the southern camp was on the verge of falling. Enraged, he bellowed:

“Warriors of Liao Gu, kill them all!”

He led his troops in a desperate counterattack against the Daxing forces.

The battle for survival raged fiercely.